A variety of print devices are available for the printing of images. After the images are printed, the user receives a print of the image. The user may retrieve the image directly from the print device itself. Or, the user may receive the image via an intermediary party, such as when the user receives printed photographic images from a print shop. Once the user is in possession of the printed image, the user typically uses the printed image for some intended purpose.
The user, after receiving the printed image, may desire to have the image re-printed. In some instances the image quality of the originally printed image is acceptable, and the user merely desires a number of duplicate printed images. In other instances, the user may wish to alter some characteristic of the image. For example, a size change, a media change, and/or a color or tone adjustment may be desired for the re-printed image. For convenience, such characteristics or features of a printed image are referred to herein as an “attribute” of the printed image.
In many instances, the user only has the originally printed image itself. The user does not have information regarding to some or all of the attributes of the originally printed image. Thus, when the user prints additional images, the user must “guess” at the printer setting so that a new image is printed having desirable characteristics. The process of obtaining additional printed images is further complicated when the image printing is performed by an intermediary party, such as when the user returns a printed photographic image or negative to a print shop for reprints of a photograph.
When an image is stored electronically, many attributes of the image can be stored in a data file. However, such a data file does not include the settings of the print device used when the originally printed image was printed. Furthermore, such a data file is in electronic format. Thus, a program configured to access the data file and configured to present the attributes to the user must be operated before the user can obtain information from the data file. If the user does not have access to such a program, the information in the data file is not retrievable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a user to have access to printed image attributes. Access to such attributes facilitates re-printing of additional images.